SexySmurf posted this in the Cleaning Thread:

I don't put away anyone's laundry but mine. So, DH's stack get taller and taller until it almost falls. My kids have bins and their bins are currently overflowing. They come into the laundry room half naked looking for clothes. That bothers me but I refuse to put away their stuff. That means they win. It's the one war I fight and refuse to back down."

Do you allow your kids to keep their rooms any way they like??? Mine would keep them a mess, if I allowed them to. At the very least, a fire hazard, with clothes and things all over the floor.

What is your take on it???

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

To avoid the constant battle with my kids, I had them 'help' me organize their rooms. That way there is a place for everything and they know where it goes. It makes it easy for them to pick up and keep their rooms neat. I allowed them to choose where they wanted to put things and how they wanted to store them (for the younger one, I gave him a few choices to pick from, the older one came up with some great ideas on his own). There rooms don't have to be prefect, but if they aren't picked up, sometimes I will make them clean up before they can play with a friend or do something special. It's amazing how fast they can clean-up when something fun is waiting.

As far as clothing goes, I hang 90% of it. The only thing that goes into a drawer are underware, pjs, bathing suits and sports uniforms. Everything else goes on a hanger. That has helped tremendously with the mess. Only the clothes they choose to wear come off the hanger -- they can flip through easily and find what they want, instead of digging in a drawer. We keep socks in a basket in the mud room with the shoes. I sort the laundry and hang it (I actually enjoy this chore) and then the kids put it away. I have to help my 5 year old with the hanging stuff because he can't reach everything in his closet yet.

For my DH, usually I sort his and put it in a pile on his side of the bed. He's gotten pretty good about putting it away before going to bed, rather than moving it somehwhere and letting it pile up.

Sarah..........

There wasn't a good answer for me Generally, they can keep it how they want (they are 7 & 9). The rule is I vacuum once a week and the floor needs to be picked up. They can't have friends over to play unless their room is picked up. *Picked up*is not spic n span...it's just picked up and clean enough for me. I am not a "white glove" tester and my own cleaning wouldn't pass that test LOL

I organize and clean their rooms about once to twice a year. I do it while they are at grandma's for a week in the summer and then when they spend a weekend with my parents in the winter. I get to clean out all the stuff I have been asking them to get rid of (toys they don't use, etc). They get the opportunity to do it themselves before they leave and I'll help. If they don't, I have full control over what stays and what goes. It's not been an issue and I am happy that everything is well cleaned 2 times a year.

The exception would be where we were selling our house. They had to keep their rooms VERY clean but I helped. Glad we aren't doing THAT again. Not easy. If we have company, they need to clean up more than usual but it's not that often.

Lately, my oldest is slacking off in the keeping stuff off the floor dept. I saw a Supernanny where she had a chart that outlined things they had to do (like keep their room clean) and things they got paid to do (extras like taking out the trash for example). Each thing had a dollar amount associated with it. So they could "earn" $5 a week doing extras but then they could lose money is their "had to do's" (like room cleaning) wasn't done. So not keeping the room clean would lose them $5. So, there is more incentive to keep their room clean. Once the kids are interested in money, we might move over to that system. Right now, they love to count it and bank it but they don't have any interest in spending. That will change in a couple of years when they want things that are "extras' in my book.

Getting them to put up their laundry is more difficult than getting them to pick up their rooms

sorry to rant so long

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I couldnt find one that really fits. I make them clean up their rooms good about once every 2 weeks. My DD's room gets trashed pretty quick. Daily they somewhat pick it up, but certainly not good.
If they want their clothes washed, they HAVE to bring them to the laundry room.
I do periodically go in and help clean it up and purge things. Probably twice a year.

Honestly my kids are older so at this point they really do not want me hanging out in their rooms. But I have to admit we all truly keep a very very neat clean house. We all handle all the cleaning, especially my son and my husband, they are super super neat freaks lol. Seriously when they were younger we taught them to keep their room clean and they have grown up that way. So as far as their rooms they do honestly keep their rooms so neat and clean. I am amazed when I have been in some other homes where parents feel , its ok to have such a real messy dirty room with real dirty laundry and old food all over the place. we as a family could not live like that, but to each its own and whatever makes a family work... Peace.. Catherine

DD's room is disgusting. It drives me nuts but it isn't the battle I choose to fight with her. If she wants to live that way then so be it. We just close her door. The rest of our house is neat and tidy and she keeps her mess confined to her room. DS's room is always picked up because he only sleeps in there and never hangs out in his room. DD will be 18 in Jan. and DS just turned 16.

My 16yo is a slob his room is a total disaster I am afraid to even go in there. On the other hand my 19yo is a neat freak and everything in his room is perfect. They also both use to complain about me not doing the wash when they needed something, or I didnt fold something right. So I would say for the last 3 yrs both my older boys do their own laundry. At least they know how to work a washer and dryer

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Proud mom to 4 great boys Anthony20,Nicholas16,Michael4,Sean2

There wasn't an accurate answer for me, so I picked the first one. They have to keep things in "OK" shape each day and have to have everything completely picked up and put away every two weeks when the cleaning lady comes. They do not always make their beds though - every once in a while, I'll do it for them, but not typically.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I make them keep it clean. I think it teaches them responsibility and it's better in the long run.

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Forgiveness is love in its most noble form. -Anonymous

They have to clean their room about once a week. I do have a rule that if the laundry isn't in the hamper I will not wash it.

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